Scoop's Weekly Roundup Season 4

SEASON 4 PREVIEW

Here we stand, on the precipice of a new dawn, hopes and potential waiting to be fulfilled for all ........ but will it? Can anyone actually wrestle away a Superbowl from the mighty NFC North? Will Michael Vick's thumb survive re-hab? Will Jake Lockers wideouts survive Jake Locker?

As a prelude to the upcoming season, we will take a look at what we can expect in the draft - who won in FA rnd 1 and what should we expect for SML season IV.

So, where to start? The 'group of death' and current home of the reigning SB champion Chicago Bears - the NFC.

Bears: Chicago developed late last season, making a couple of defensive adjustments 2nd half of the campaign and the WR's really stepped up to the mark, giving Jay Cutler multiple targets. There are no pressing needs for a roster that contains experience, quality and youth - and now FS Michael Griffin has been acquired in a trade for their 1st rnd pick and a solid back-up to Rod Brooks in Taiwan Jones Chicago will be looking to add depth as they prepare to do the hardest thing in football - repeat! (or stop Julius's ears from flapping!) Last season 3 North teams made the playoffs, this season i predict 2 will be in the post-season extravaganza!
Season: 10-6
Draft prediction: No first round pick. Traded to Titans.

Vikings: The Purple People Eaters seemed to be on a collision course for a 2nd consecutive NFC Conf game when the roof caved in (deja vu?) - AP got injured and the Vikes hopes went with him to the physio. Minnesota made a gallant effort and altered their playbook for the post season in an attempt to accomodate AP's replacement LT but to no avail. Coach Eder has aggressively entered FA and acquired SS Adrian Wilson and CB Tommie Campbell to strengthen the secondary.
Season: Playoffs
Draft prediction (28): OT Marcus Riddick.
Dont be surprised if DE or HB are taken.

Packers: Green Bay were 6th on O but 17th on D for yards per game last season. The reliance on Rodgers, Jennings and the receivers may need a defensive upgrade to make them Superbowl contenders. It wont take much to improve their pass D ranking of 23 as the secondary is excellent but maybe a pass rusher or upgrade at OLB is all it could take for a 3rd NFC North team to get their rings!
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (23) LE Tavaras Armstead - would fit perfectly in their 3-4 system.

Lions: The new coach takes over a team with great talent, Megatron, 3 top HB's, ikeem Smith, Matt Stafford - to name a few. But, the Lions will need to plug a few holes if they are to make a dent in the SML's toughest division. O line will need an upgrade in preparation for Williams, Peppers and Matthews as well as CB. Trading DT Suh away to KC was a bold move - time will tell if it was the right or wrong one as this season is likely to be developmental!
Season: 6-10
Draft: (7) CB Jorrell Reed

NFC EAST;
Eagles: The Birds (like Minnesota) were rocked by a crushing injury to Vick which thwarted them from a possible championship game. Philly have a great roster, brimming with talent in all areas and will again be amongst the favourites to make the SB. The Birds led the most categories last season and will likely look to bolster the D at SS and OLB this time around.
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (27) SS Ladarris Amiri

Cowboys: Dallas narrowly missed the post season last time around and will be looking to improve in SML season IV. Boasting seriously good WR's the Cowboys ground game was weakened with the rejection of Felix Jones into FA - interesting!!! Like the Eagles, Dallas will likely try and upgrade the D, particularly the secondary.
Season: Playoffs
Draft (19) CB Russ Cherry

NFC SOUTH:
Panthers: Another great season for Carolina who came up just 1 game short of the SB and will be chomping at the bit to go all the way this season. Carolina has a great balance on D and with Cam and DeAngelo moving the chains the Panthers will likely be using the draft to acquire an upgrade at one of their few weak spots - safety. CB was a concern but has been rectified now the Chris Gamble soap opera is over!
season: Playoffs
Draft : (29) FS Ephraim Duncan

NFC WEST:
Cardinals: The 1st Div crown for Arizona last season was based on offense, with great WR's down Arizona way and an excellent performance by HB Ryan Williams. Coach Pooky has addressed their main weakness in free agency by acquiring the services of SS T.J.Ward and MLB Jonathan Vilma. The Cards run D struggled last time out and whilst it improved as the season went on, i expect an OLB to be drafted as priority.
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (24) OLB Dominique Carnes

AFC SOUTH:
Texans: Houstons SML record is 2nd to none, 1 SB ring, 1 SB finalist and 1 AFC Championship finalist. Is there change in the air in Houston as Coach Lujer looks to re-vamp his roster? We will see, but the Texans have talent and the system they play means they are always in any game no matter what the score and nearly pulled off a thrilling comeback against Chicago in SBIII. The WR corps were bolstered in FA with the signing of the dangerous Mario Manningham and with the Texans picking at the low end of the draft (as usual) SS is likely to be their main focus.
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (31) Ladarris Amiri if still on the board, if not, WR Tavin Randolph.

Titans: The up and down season of Tennessee was a pleasure to behold, but the INT machine needs to be arrested if the Titans want to seriously challenge Houston. There are a few holes appearing on the Tennessee roster, C, G, SS, RE, and OLB could all require upgrading. The Titans will score, but can they stop opponents in season IV?
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (26) RE Tyle Turner

AFC EAST
Patriots: New England narrowly missed post season action and will be favourites to win the AFC East this season. The roster is in good shape with superstars all over the pitch, if NE can find a settled defensive scheme they will stroll into the playoffs and from there, who knows what could happen?
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (14) ROLB Luther or RE Hammond (if either are still on the board).

AFC WEST (New Owner Division)
Broncos: As with all teams in the West, last season has no bearing as new owners will no doubt be injecting a fresh approach and no doubt, new personnel! Denver have a strong squad, although QB remains uncertain. A few tweaks particularly at DT and RT just could have Denver in the post season.
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (16) DT Jarrett Spencer

Chiefs: With the biggest pre draft move so far, KC acquired Ndamukong Suh from Detroit and spelt out their intentions to the rest of the league. With Jerrel Powe and DE's Bailey and Gibson that is one powerful front 4 to rival anything in the NFC. If KC have a weakness, its the O line - expect them to go for a Hog in the draft.
Season: Playoffs
Draft: (25) LT Eduardo Mackey

Raiders: Can the fear of going to Oakland return now theres a new kid on the block? The Raiders have a powerful roster and Coach OSS's previous franchise didn't do too well last season a major improvement is likely this time out. However, if Oakland are to threaten the Chiefs and Broncos a DT (or 2) are desperately required - and a good season from their QB - Hall or Pryor???
Season: 7-9
Draft: (22) DT Victor Seale

Wow that was really impressive, great work!

DRAFT GRADES

So, all the bright young things came strutting into view - or waddling in the case of the Cowboys Pappas Walker, and old Scoop has refilled his pint glass with Jack Daniels, sparked up a cuban and prepares to peruse the winners, losers and maniacal decisions that the SML rookie draft gave us on Super Sunday!
As my extensive football knowledge is a must read for all, pay attention to the below draft marks because they just may save your franchise a whole heap of dollars - not to mention embarrassment before you all welcome the new guys with a fat, undeserved contract!
We shall look at the first 3 rounds only as all teams had 3 picks to waste and beyond that theres not exactly a lot of talent about!

So, off to the top picking human owned team - our NFC North's perennial whipping boys, the Detoit Loons (no mis-spelling there). After picking a center the 2nd and 3rd wasn't quite as good but overall a solid draft for the divisions new owner. As the center upgrade was necessary (the blood lust of their divisional D lines made it a MUST) the Lions can be reasonably happy.
Verdict: Win

Vikes: Took a decent MLB in rnd 1, an interesting choice of DE in rnd 2 as they already have quality there and a fast but brainless OLB in rnd 3. In all fairness, at the bottom of round 3 if you can get someone who can read a playbook you're doing well!
Verdict: Ok

Bears: No rnd 1 pick, Chicago went for a Cb in 2 and an interesting WR and a MLB back-up in 3. Should get some production from 2 of them.
Verdict: Ok

Packers: GB started with an LT, made a great 2nd rnd pick of DE then fell asleep in 3 and took a HB without a chance of carrying the ball!
Verdict: Bust

Eagles: The SML's annual Best Draft Award went to the Raiders this year but still a very good draft by the Birds. Taking a monster LT, a HB who will not only back-up Shady McCoy but could even start, and a DT as thick as 2 short Browns fans - but with potential.
Verdict: Win

Cowboys: DT is always a good choice (can never have enough of them - hell, its a rough sport) a Hb to strengthen the backfield and a back-up to Romo is a decent effort by the budding lonely stars.
Verdict: Ok

Panthers: There were 3 things before the draft we knew would definitely happen, OSS would fall asleep, LT would try and draft an interception (no mis-print there) and the Panthers would take a TE! And they got a good'un, plus a couple of back-ups in a RG and a QB.
Verdict: Ok

Cards: LB was top priority in the 1st, followed by a decent safety and a DT. No surprise the leaky Arizona run D was considerably upgraded.
Verdict: Win

Texans: The LG and Cb were solid picks, not sure about the RE though. Houston fishing for a safety in FA?
Verdict: Ok

Titans: Tennessee took an O line upgrade and a good FS in rnd 1 courtesy of the Griffin trade with Chicago, then an explosive kick returner in the 3rd. Real solid performance that will help them in their quest to step out of Houston's considerable shadow.
Verdict: Win

Patriots: Now, if you've got a chocolate cake, with chocolate icing and smothered in chocolate sauce, the last thing you need is MORE chocolate! NE confounded everyone and took a QB in rnd 1. Most people collect stamps, or Playboy magazines, but the Pats seem to have an addiction for pigskin chuckers it seems! A WR and a HB were reasonable additions but ...... a QB??? Maybe Coach has a masterplan up his sleeve. (Probably involves chocolate)
Verdict: Too much of a sweet tooth = Bust.

Broncos: Love the idea that Tebow will be looking over his shoulder with a QB in the 2nd (even if he is worse), but asolid TE in the 1st and a Cb in the 3rd will strengthen the buckaroos!
Verdict: Ok

Chiefs: Ever been elated by a game winning touchdown pass - then horrified as the receiver drops it (Ravens fans, i'm looking at you!). Well, KC managed to plant that up/down feeling in the minds down on the reservation by taking the best O lineman in the draft (amazing he was still on the board) and then taking a Qb who cant throw, read, or tell the time! The WR in the 3rd made no difference ..........
Verdict: Bust

Raiders: The DT position was the strongest in the class and the Raiders didn't hesitate in taking probably the best one there at pick 22. A decent LE in the 2nd and probably the most desired DT outside of the top round in the 3rd. Everyone looked at Reeves and thought yes, the Raiders didn't think about it, they made their move!
Verdict: Win

By the way, given the fact 5 rookies were not on the board when teams came to pick, my predictions were uncannily accurate. out of the remaining 8, 75% of the 1st rnd positional picks were as per my reports.

Bow down, mortals!

Thats quality as usual............

Ive only just stumbled upon the draft grades! Awesome write up as ever!

McCorkle carnt pass, read or tell the time but he sure can run!

love it

SCOOP'S 17.6% ROUNDUP (aka 3 WEEK ROUNDUP)

More shocks than swimming with a toaster down your speedo's, more thrills than Megan Fox down your speedo's, and more disasters than a Bruce Willis movie! 17.6% of Season IV is already in the books so lets take a little glimpse into what happened over those first few weeks of the season.

AFC East: This division will no doubt be a straight sprint to the finish line between the pass happy Pats and the never happy Bills. Both likely to make the playoffs and sitting at 2-1 so far. Seems like NE will be relying on Brady and WR Louis Murphy - who caught a staggering 12 / 309 / 1 TD versus the Cleveland Clowns. But a rookie worth mentioning is WR Jared Griffin who has settled in nicely. My big worry for the Pats is whether the D can step up when needed? Buffalo seem to be in transition under a new coach and whilst won a nail biter v NE in week 2, managed to lose all momentum from that game and then lost to the cpu Jets, doh! The Bills have no real big stars but play tough D - can they get enough production out of the offense - i doubt it - 59 pts in 3 games is not enough! They just need a decent QB, couple of WR's, few linemen etc..........
Thrills: Tom Brady's offense. Buffalo OT win v NE.
Spills: Bills loss to Jets. Pats running game.


AFC North: The Ravens are the only human owned team here, so a free pass to the post season is assured. Sugar Ray Rice is leading the way with over 150 yds per game so far. Can the Ravens D uphold a long tradition in blood curdling hits and bone crunching sacks? DT Matt Toeina seems to think so. Hate to say it, but Flacco may be their achilles heel come the playoffs.
Thrills: Ray Rice's performance in win over Houston. Rush D.
Spills: Pass D.

AFC South: The age old question, Tennessee or Houston, Schaub or Locker, Foster or CJ? Every season so far Houston have held the edge, but a solid draft by the Titans and a few shrewd trades has drawn them closer to their divisional nemesis this season. To get the holy grail (SB ring) the question is simple - is Schaub or Locker good enough to win in the play-offs. Both teams have BIG impact players on D (note Titans rookie safety tandem of Zach James - 9 tkls, 2 INT's and Cam Collins 12 tkls, 1 INT), solid run games and play-making WR's - Houston have Owen Daniels as the top receiving TE and Schaub in the top 3, while Tennessee's CJ leads the lge rushing chart. Early indications are Schaub is trying to prove he IS the man to take Houston back to the Show!
Thrills: Matt Schaub. Chris Johnson & 9 INTS.
Spills: Matt Schaub. Titans Wr's.

AFC West: Well, Denver, KC, the Bolts or Oakland? This is a tough division to call. The Broncos lead it 2-0 with a bye in wk 3, but 3 of their next 4 are the Eagles, Raiders and Chargers. SD started really well but like the Bills, were well beaten in their 3rd game so question marks pop up. The Chiefs have also started inconsistently with a great opening day win over Philly, then a big div loss to the Bolts and a routine win over the Jags. So, this is clearly going to be an exciting division - just a shame someone forgot to invite the Raiders! Oakland are 0-3, but should be 2-1 - lady luck never smiles on you when you need it most and only time will tell whether the Raiders wheeling and dealing pays dividends this season. 2 teams will make the playoffs from here - Chargers and Chiefs are my favourites but what do i know?
Thrills: Moreno. Charles. Raiders 7th in pass D. Bolts 1st in pass D.
Spills: Tebow's 73 rating. KC 16th in yds allowed. Raiders offense. Bolts 30th in run D.

NFC East: The Cowboys (3-0) are rolling, thanks mainly to the in-form Tony Romo who leads all QB's with a 146 passer rating. Rookie HB Algrenon McKoy has complemented Quayshawn Willis in the backfield and DeMarcus Ware is back to his best, terrorising QB's from the outside LB spot. Will the 'Boys secondary be good enough to get to the SB, apart from 2nd year SS Adonis Burchette i have a niggling doubt an upgrade is required.
The Eagles (1-2) have the toughest schedule in the league - with no fewer than 7 of last years playoff teams out of 11 human opponents, ouch!! With 2 losses to start, the Birds face a real possibility of going into their wk 6 bye week with a losing record, then play the Cards and Panthers in wks 7 & 8! So, whats gone wrong - all eyes are on Ryan Mallet (monster MLB Markis Savoie went to NE) with Mike Vick waiting in the wings, smirking at Mallets 52.9 passer rating. Vick isn't the only one who's unhappy, TE Aaron Hernandez seems to be his fave target with wideouts DJax and Jez Maclin looking on in frustration! Seriously, how long will it be before Michael Vick returns ..........

NFC North: Detroit (2-1) acquired a new owner, traded DT Suh, signed the best rookie center we've seen for a long time in Brendan Walker and sit proudly on a 2-1 record! Unfortunately for the Lions, thats only good enough for 3rd in the NFC North as the unbeaten Vikes and Bears will be welcoming the new coach in weeks 6 and 12. However, if Detroit can get to 10 wins that will be enough for a WC as once again the North is likely to provide 3 playoff teams. Was trading Suh a good move - judging by the points conceded - NO!
The Vikes (3-0) have AP back to full fitness and Coach has made a shrewd move in FA signing Jimmy Starks to help AP and keep him fresh. The D is not giving up many points as usual and the strengthening at SS (Adrian Wilson leads the lge in tackles) and CB Tommie Campbell during the off-season makes them a very tough nut to crack - post season play guaranteed! There is however a small chink in the armour - teams have so far ran well against Minnesota, can this continue?
The Bears (3-0) have been handed a big gift by the leagues schedule makers and been given 5 cpu games to start their Superbowl defense! But 8 of the remaining 11 games are v human owned teams and we'll see then if they can play with the focus and ferocity that won them their rings. No real changes down at Chicago apart from re-acquiring TE Greg Olsen in a trade with the Panthers and releasing SS Adrian Wilson into FA - and replaced him with Melvin Bullitt - lets be honest here, Bullitt is no Wilson and this may prove to be a mistake. Still, they have Peppers ears flapping at the QB's and if HB Rod Brooks (already injured) can last the rest of the season (sure, just like Locker wont throw any more INT's) Chicago will again be tough opponents.

NFC South: Carolina (3-0) are the NFC's nearly men, going so close to the big game in both seasons under Coach Flashmore, is it their year - maybe? Currently the No1 ranked defense, they have stuttered on O with 1st rnd draft pick TE Jason Fobbs having little impact on the passing game and Cam Newton seems to be struggling with a -1 TD/INT ratio so far. WR's Smith and Gettis are cooking though and Gettis is proving to be a deep threat avg 25 yds per catch. Cam will have to improve if the Panthers are once again to be considered one of the SB favourites.
The Buccs (3-0) have a new owner in Dazinkster and will be in a head to head battle with Carolina for the division. LeGarrette Blount has rediscovered what its like to go over 100 yds a game and the Josh Freeman/Mike Williams partnership is looking good again. Tampa Bay will need DE's Da'Quan 'The One' Bowers and Adrian Clayborn to get more heat on QB's as their current lack of a pass rush could cost them come season's end. 10 wins is likely to get NFC teams into the playoffs and, early indications are the Buccs are once again a team to be reckoned with!

NFC West: Arizona (2-1) will be faves for the West after posting a 13-3 record last season, however, rumours abound that the St Louis Rams owner could be making a comeback soon which will make this battle even more fun! The Cards had a tough opening season loss to the Titans and gave up a whopping 50 points! But, they seem to have carried on last years 'we'll out-score you' philosophy with Larry Fitz shaking off trade rumours in the off-season and leads in receptions. STOP PRESS!!!!! Seems the Seattle Seahawks have agreed terms with a new owner! - Coach Pooky, make room, - and start sweating!

All in all, the NFC still have the balance of power over the AFC but the gap is closing. I am really looking forward to both conferences wildcard races because there will be at least 3 good teams that wont make it! The AFC - come WC time has two teams out of the Pats, Bills, Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Titans, Texans and Ravens that will miss out. The NFC similarly can have only 6 of 9 - choosing between the Cowboys, Eagles, Vikes, Bears, Lions, Panthers, Buccs, Cards and Rams will no doubt require my beer stained crystal ball - to attempt predictions now would require deep, sober thought - rules me out then!

One things for sure, this season is going to be the most hotly contested yet so Philly and Houston - WAKE UP (or book your holidays)!

Awesome stuff. I love reading these sort of things, gutted I didn't stumble across the league a couple of weeks earlier to be able to draft

Excellent write up

Great write up!!
Are the rumours true about the rams? Will be Good to have Truly back.
NFC WEST will start to heat up a bit now with a Seahawks owner.

greatgraetgreat

Its its usual top quality stuff really great job .............

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (for some teams!)

Almost half way through SML Season IV and things are shaping up nicely. My early season prediction of the most exciting playoffs yet looks sound as the believers try and out-muscle the dreamers.
My advice (= acidic observations) are laid out below (just wish some players got laid out a bit more often!)

NFC West:
Seahawks 0-6: Newcomer - has been throwing like a ...... newcomer. So, what do you do? Trade him so he can show he's actually very good!!! Defense, you are allowed to force turnovers in this game. Elite LB corps of Curry, Hawthorne and Hill - LEAVE! Player of the season so far - FS Earl Thomas, for joining Chicago!

Cardinals 5-2: Averaging 376 yards per game, giving up 366 yards per game. All that hard work for 'plus 2.5 yards per quarter' - grow up! Re-introduce Toscano to HB Ry Williams, he seems to have forgotten him. Who photo-copied the 'deep post pattern' play to Jawaun Sales - and replaced every other pass play with it in the PB?

NFC South:
Buccs 5-1: Remove that damn boat from your stadium - its distracting the rookies. CB Maxwell is more likely to catch Moby Dick than an INT. 'Bucc luck' will run out - 8 FF's but only one recovered by opponents, try playing with footballs and not bars of soap! RE Adrian Clayborn has 2 sacks, thats just over $1mill each - bargain!

Panthers 5-1: James Anderson, stop letting Beason do all the work! $5mill a season, is it too much to ask for a sack, maybe an INT ..... god forbid ..... a FF! Never before has a player been so aptly named, introducing Mr Jordan Gross - check out his photo, you get a free drink on old Scoop if you don't laugh! If he's not playing trade him - he's upsetting the cheerleaders.

NFC North:
Bears 6-1: I'll try and not to mention Rodman Brooks ............... Julius, stop beating on QB's and let the other defenders get a piece. RE Cole (o sacks) DT's Seymour and Paea (3 sacks combined) and all LB's (3 between'em). Sorry, cant help myself .... IQ test for you: Rodman Brooks is (A) Injured (B) Gay (C) A girl OR (D) Chairman of the 'DONT LET HB's GET TACKLED' committee. Answers on a band-aid and send to Halas Hall.

Vikings 6-1: Pleased you're getting a new stadium - maybe the pitch will be marked out correctly and not 4 yard grids (that explains Peterson's stats). Phil loadholt is on the bench, why? He's 6 ft 8, 350 tonnes of concrete (just his head) and a monster run blocker. 'His footwork is poor' - he wears a Vikings uniform, not a tutu! 16 INTS last season, 13 already this term, now theres a question to ponder ......

Lions 5-2: Cliff Avril 2013 2 sacks, 2014 9 already. Nick Fairley 2013 5 sacks, 2014 7 already. Who said Ndamukong Suh was a bad influence! Jahvid Best needs a dope test. How exactly does Matt Stafford complete only 46% of his passes when the man with his own weather system, Megatron, resides in the same team?

NFC East:
Cowboys 6-1: FS Major Wright is now Major Wrong, lost his job to a SS. DeMarcus Ware is dizzy with all the D changes, LB or DE - he is so dizzy he keeps falling into Qb's - 18 times to be precise! TE Jason Witten has rewarded the Cowboys for his $11mill contract with .... zero TD's. But at least rookie Pappas Walker has belly flopped 3 different QB's!

Eagles 4-2: Philly have a new QB - Ryan Vickcomer! Last seasons number 1 D seem hellbent on proving it was a fluke, and languish 15th v pass. Apart from DRC, whats left on D - the linebackers? er, no! Jackson and Maclin are in a groove now they can recognise their own QB. Brent Celek wins the award for most costly player though, $4.3mill for one catch, impressive!

AFC West:
Raiders 2-4: Applause for Darren McFadden in keeping his rushing stats down - not easy with all that speed, power and skill! Pass rush has as much bite as a giraffe, and QB Terrelle Pryor is currently winning his bet with the kicker as to who gets the least points!

Chiefs 5-1: Forget the battle with the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos, the real fight in this division is between the Chiefs offense and defense! The D plays lights out - Cassel plays with the lights out! The D hands the O the ball, and Cassel gives it back to their opponents. Happy days!

AFC South:
Titans 5-1 & Texans 3-3: Maybe this division should be renamed the AFC North & South. Both teams in the top 6 offensively, and both teams in the bottom 6 defensively! The Titans in particular have defensive superstars in the locker room, just not on the field. The Texans are making opponents look good with a 6.6 run avg and a 9.9 pass average. Chants echoing around the SML's legions of fans include such classics as "can we play you every week" and the time honoured "you only sing when you're losing"!

AFC North:
Ravens 4-2: The Ravens rely heavily on Ray Rice, good job really when you have Chokin' Joe Flacco under center. With Hester being outshone in the return game by Holmes, only DT Matt Toeaina shines and still plays like a Bear - maybe someone should lie to Hester also!

Steelers 1-6: Pittsburgh cant run the ball, cant pass the ball, and concede too many points - that aside, they're in good shape! Troy Polamalu is out for 8 weeks with an abdominal tear - apparently due to the extensive vomiting - induced by his team-mates! Now, wheres that No1 draft pick hiding .........

AFC East:
Patriots 5-2: They've invented a new game down New England way - its called swap offensive and defensive playbooks! The offense are now trying to shut down the run and force the pass, while the defense are trying to avoid interceptions and force the run. Its working a treat! The Pats avg 8 runs a game and 31 pass attempts - and the D has ZERO INT's after 7 games, wow!

Bills 3-3: Surprise surprise, the Bills have a D. No surprise, they have no O! Always beware a QB who's chin is bigger than his beard i say! THe Bills Qb is leading the league with least TD passes and the defense is doing their best to run away from QB's - more like a pass hush than rush. Playoff? yeah, right!

Lol quality stuff. I love the Fitzpatrick comment )

Wow, seems like Scoop was drinking from the goblet of hate last night. Good stuff though but acidic was right.

I also think its pretty interesting that for the first time we have no undefeated teams left after just 7 weeks. Could parity be coming to the SML?

Seems Scoop McLeak had a bad batch of scotch!

Please stop picking on Rodman Brooks ...... he's very sensitive!

WOW! Think scoops need to take a time out.

Ryan Williams will be a big player after the bye week. I can promise that!
Who wouldn't use sales speed in the passing game? With 6-2 record and the 2nd best passing game in the league..... Seems to be working.

The defense has been horrible changing from the 3-4 to the cover 2 will help the defense. I'll be able to stop seeing PP getting burn every week.

I'm trying to get Megatron the ball, I'm trying to get ANYONE the ball actually! Lol.

hey Pook - if that old carthorse PP is getting burnt, time to get rid whilst he still has value!

haha! Is this a midseason PP trade discussion?

He'll never be traded.... Once a Cardinal always a Cardinal

RIBS, RACES & RAIDERS OF THE LOST ART

Its all going off in the SML! Recent games have provided all the fun of the Fair (and unfair) as the great Season IV playoff race hots up.
The 1st real crucial game of the season came at LFF as Philly hosted the Cowboys in a must win situation for the Birds. A loss to the high flying 'Boys would have effectively ended the Eagles playoff hopes as they face off for the first of their contests over a 3 game period.
With big plays all over the shop Philly came out convincing winners after a close first half and managed to outscore the free wheeling Dallas offense after a big 3rd qtr. So, all is well in Philly …...... until the next game when the QB Superhero Peter Newcomer gets crushed by the Skins neanderthal DE Stephen Bowen and is out for 4 games! The only sound that was louder than the cracking of Newcomers' ribs was Michael Vicks laughter! Round 2 with the
Cowboys becomes even more critical now as Dallas followed the defeat with, a defeat –
to the “Turnover Supernova” from KC (more on them later). Can Dallas retake control of the
division by defeating a Newcomer-less Eagles?

OSS Jones and his Oakland Raiders have been searching for the 'Art Of The Coverage' for a while now but notched their first win verses a human opponent! The inconsistent Bills rolled into town and were duly rolled right back out again as the Oakland pass rush swarmed all
over Ryan Kaiser and aided by the secondary limited the hapless QB to just 4 completions! The Raiders have now gone and put themselves in the AFC wildcard race – oh my, whatever
next? Congrats to OSS with the win though, and the lack of Raider INT's of late!

You often hear about the turnover ratio and its importance to winning matches, well, I managed to dust down the old calculator and had a quick look at the TO ratio and its
impact in the SML. And, lo and behold, the top 4 teams (wins) have the top 4 turnover
ratios. However, whilst the Bears, Buccs and Vikings are to be applauded for their campaigns thus far, the Krazy KC Chiefs are awarded the 'Scoop McLeak Damn! Award' of the season
so far after achieving a TO ratio of +26. Thats mainly because of the 37 int's in just 10
games – like I said …. Damn! Safeties Berry and Taylor with 21 between them puts the 'Turnover Supervova' right in the picture for SB favourites! Yeah, lets see if the Chiefies
can do it under pressure now the stretch approaches hey? Maybe they should be renamed
the Kansas City Thiefs with all these take-aways!

Its also interesting to note which of the front-runners have performed best against human opponents. The Vikes, Chiefs, Titans, Cowboys and Eagles are the top 5 performers against
4 or more human owned teams. Have to say those NFC powerhouses Dallas and Philly have
the toughest schedules in the league which, in my expert opinion bodes well for the post season. Will we see 2 of the above 5 teams in the superbowl – you betcha baby! Remember
where you heard it first!

The Panthers, Cards, Bears and Buccs have had reasonably sedate schedules so far so we'll have to wait and see what happens in the remaining 6/7 games of the season as they all
have some real tough games. Watch out for the Chargers though, with a new owner
Kjnoncho taking over midway through the season, they are currently nicely positioned for a WC berth and I predict they will only get stronger. The playoff race is going to be exciting
in both conferences with the Pats, Lions, Ravens and Bills all in with a shot – oh yeah, the
Raiders also if they continue to play with the focus they did against Buffalo. But, what about the Texans? Can they draw on their world class resources and make the playoffs? Well,
remember last season? The Chicago Bears were all but out of the playoffs after 14 weeks
but we all know what happened after that!

Detroit have had a good season so far, but with the Vikes and Bears in the NFC North it was always going to be tough but they have shown they're up for the fight! With the Bears to play
twice they still have a chance to join the post season party. The Steelers and Seahawks
seem to be in a fight for the No1 pick – but if they build wisely next season could see a big turn-around as both teams have some serious talent lurking behind all those L's.

Its getting close now my little stick jockeys, you can almost taste the fear. Come on, stick your neck (and other assorted parts of the male anatomy) on the big boy chopping block and ready those monstrosities often referred to as LB's, DE's and safeties! Dont worry about the powder puff offenses though - D wins championships and dont you forget it!

I dont know what you do for a living but you should consider writing for the tabloids !!! great stuff

SQUEAKY BUM TIME PEOPLE – HERE COMES THE STRETCH!!!

12 magnifico game weeks have passed and in just a short while we will have 1 lucky owner
crowned as Superbowl champs. The million dollar question (or 10% of Fitz's salary) is of course
– who will it be?

Current seeds:
AFC 1-6: Chiefs, Titans, Pats, Ravens, Colts and Chargers. NFC 1-6: Buccs, Vikes, Cowboys,
Cards, Bears and Panthers.

Now, if we delve a little closer into the remaining games WOW do we have some critical
games coming up! The only team who appear to be a lock for anything is Dallas as they have all 5 of their remaining games against the cpu, and no doubt be resting half the team. But
while the Cowboys sip on their pina coladas the rest of the league will be sweating like
rapists! Here's how I think things are going to turn out – (SPOILER ALERT: BEARS, BILLS,
LIONS, SAINTS & COLTS FANS LOOK AWAY NOW).

Scoops Projected Seeds:
AFC1-6:- Titans, Chiefs, Ravens, Pats, Chargers and Texans. This of course will likely mean
a Ravens/Texans and Pats/Chargers WC round.
NFC 1-6:- Cowboys, Vikes, Buccs, Cards, Panthers and Eagles. Meaning a Buccs/Eagles
and Cards/Panthers WC round.

Big games to watch out for (and when I say big – I mean Vince Wilforks ass type big):-
AFC West: The chiefs have the Bolts as their only real tough game which should enable them
to lock the No2 seed. The Chargers however have the Texans, Chiefs and Colts to play and will need to win at least 2 of those.

AFC South: The Titans have the Pats standing in their way of a 5 of 5 finish to the season and
only a Jake locker meltdown (been here before?) can realistically stop them locking No1.
However, the Texans and newly owned Colts have a date with destiny against each other in
Week 15. Loser watches the playoffs!

AFC North: The Ravens will crown a debut SML season for coach Afro with a comfortable
divisional title, although the Pats and Lions will keep them on their toes as good prep for the
serious games to come.

AFC East: The Patriots are in the driving seat but have a 'winner gets in' week 14 match-up
against the unpredictable Bills – another monster match-up deserving of prime time tv!

NFC West: The Cardinals will have a back-to-back divisional title and are not to be under
estimated. You can only beat who's put in front of you and they could easily upset some of
the more favoured teams going into the playoffs. The remaining human games will give keep
them sharp as they are the Colts, Saints and Vikes.

NFC South: I predict the Panthers and Buccs will both finish 12-4 but I give the Buccs the nod
as they are 2 games ahead at the time of going to press. Both teams have tough stretches,
with the Saints and Bears desperately trying to reach the post season for the Buccs and
likewise for the Panthers with the Vikes and Bills jossling for playoff positions. Oh yes, and
just the small matter of their 2nd div game in week 14 – a must-win contest for Carolina!

NFC North: What a carve-up! This division is the hardest to call as there are so many
possibilities, but I expect it to play out like this – Vikes smile, Bears and Lions cry. Minnesota
will get 13 wins, Chicago 11 and Detroit 9 as all 3 teams have massive games coming up.
The Vikings will make it through as both the Lions and Bears (wish the Bengals were in this
division just for the 'Lions, Tigers and Bears' comedy headlines) will be pipped at the post by
the Eagles who have to play (and I predict win) both teams.

NFC East: The Cowboys, as mentioned, will be resting and winning as they dismantle the cpu
opponents for the rest of the regular season. The Birds have it all to do but whilst they have
been somewhat unfortunate with the toughest schedule Lady Luck has smiled on them by
presenting the Lions and Bears for their destruction and therefore ending the 2 NFC teams hopes. Looks like Philly's end to the season will be easing up on the pressure ….... not!

So, the mega-clashes seem to have been stockpiled by the schedule makers for the end of
the season it seems the great action we've had so far will get even better as the stakes are
raised. Some teams are already playing sudden death games and theres still 5 weeks left!
A few of the games worth mentioning last week are the Buccs/Panthers match-up that was
decided on a 4th and 1 play at the goalline and a defensive stand by Tampa to hold on to a
priceless victory. The Eagles and Cowboys faced off with a win giving the victor control of
their own destiny and what a game that was! Philly up by 20 and Romo orchestrates a 21
point 4th quarter to claim a 35-34 win. The Texans led the Cards 17-9 with 10 secs left, only
for Arizona QB Brandon Toscano to connect with WR Andre Roberts on a 61 yard pass play
as time expired …... the 2 point conversion failed, good job really – if it had been successful
Texans boss Jensua's heart would likely have failed!

Stay tuned, I get the feeling the drama has only just begun …......................

Nice round up, sums up all the tension/excitement/pressure we're all no doubt feeling

Another cracking write up.